Cradle for planetary cabling machine



March 20, 1962 s. B. BLAISDELL CRADLE FOR PLANETARY CABLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1960 INVENTOR. IDNEY B. BLAISDELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent r 3,026,062 CRADLE FOR PLANETARY CABLING MACHINE Sidney B. Blaisdell, East Greenwich, R.I., assignor to Edmands Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,547 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-129.6)

This invention relates to a cradle for a planetary cabling machine.

In the use of a planetary cabling machine, it is frequently difficult to position the supply package in the cradle or to remove it therefrom.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an opening side for the frame-like cradle and to securely lock the side in position after the supply package is placed on the rotating package supporting shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide a latching device which will be strong and durable in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latching device which will lock the removable side in closed position by merely swinging the removable side into closed position and in which device the latches may be withdrawn by a wrench or the like for opening the side.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple latch and wrench which may be easily manipulated for withdrawing the latches from locking position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an antifriction bearing carried by the removable side which so cooperates with the end of the shaft which supports it that it may be swung to and from closed position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cradle, which is the subject of this invention, in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the locking mechanism for the side of the cradle with the side in closed position and with the wrench in position for manipulating the locking mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wrench;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on a much larger scale of the bearing carried by the opening side showing it in engagement with the shaft which it supports.

In proceeding with this invention, I hingedly mount the end of one side of the frame-like cradle providing spaced arms at the other or free end of the side which span a portion of the frame of the cradle when in closed position, and in this portion which is spanned, I provide a locking means comprising oppositely extending latches which will enter openings in the arms. A spring moves these latches in opposite directions while pins are provided accessible from the outside of the cradle for the reception of a wrench to withdraw the pins and permit opening of the side of the frame. The frame also includes a bearing to receive the end of the shaft upon which the supply package is mounted, and there is such an arcuate surface on both the bearing and the end of the shaft that the arm may be swung so that its bearing may receive the end of the shaft.

With reference to the drawings the cradle for the planetary cabling machine is shown generally at and is a framework of channel iron with an open center in which there is located a shaft for rotatably supporting a supply package of material for the cabling machine. This frame comprises an end 11, a side 12 extending at generally right angles thereto, a second end 13 of generally frustro pyramidal shape having tapered portions 14 and 15 and an end portion 16. The other side of the frame is designated generally 17 and is hinged to the end 11 as at ice 18 and has detachable engagement with the portion 19 which is secured to the inclined channel 15 of the end 13. A shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in an anti friction hearing in side 12 to rotatably support a package of cable material. A wheel 21 is fixed to this shaft and is equipped with the brake cord 22 for retarding its motion when desired. The free end of this shaft 20 over which the supply package is mounted has a threaded portion 23 and a bearing portion 24 at its end. The threaded portion 23 is for the reception of a nut to hold the package in place while the bearing portion 24 is received in the anti-friction bearing 25 mounted on the inner surface of the hinged side 17 as shown in FIG. 1.

This hinged side 17 comprises essentially a channel member 26 having flanges 27 at its upper portion and 28 at its lower portion and upon the flange 27 there is a bar 29 while beneath the flange 28 there is a bar 30. These bars extend beyond the ends of the channel 26 and are provided with openings to register with openings in the flanges 31 and 32 of the channel end 11 so as to receive a pivoting pin 33 which has a head at one end and is threaded at its other end upon which there is a nut for securing the side 17 in pivot relation to the end 11 of the frame. A tube 34 extending between the flanges 31 and 32 through which the bolt extends serves to better support these flanges against being forced out of alignment. The opposite ends of the bars 29 and are each provided with openings 35, 36 (see also FIG. 2) which openings are covered by plates 37 to prevent the latches which engage these openings from protruding beyond the sides thereof. Stops 38 engage the frame portion 19 to limit the movement of the arms and serve to align the openings 35, 36 with the latches.

The portion 19 of the frame is channel-shaped having flanges 40 and 41 (see also FIG. 2). Between these flanges there is positioned a tubular guide 42 which is positioned in openings ineach of these flanges so as to be flush with the outer surface thereof. Within this tubular guide there is positioned a latch '43 for projecting upwardly and a latch 44 for projecting downwardly. Each of these latches is tapered as at 45 so that as the arms 29 and 30 swing into engagement with the latches, the inclined surface will force the latches inwardly against the action of spring 46 which tends to force the latches outwardly of the tubular guide 42 in opposite directions. By swinging the side to closed position these latches will be forced inwardly against this spring until the latches register with the openings 35 and 36 and then the spring will force these latches into these openings to lock the side in position. The ends of the spring 46 are received in recesses 47 and 48 in the latches 43 and 44 so as to hold the spring in position. There are like slots 49 and 50 provided in the tube 42 and 58 and 54 in frame portion 19 and through these slots there extend pin 51 to threadedly engage in an opening in latch 43, and pin 52 to threadedly engage in an opening in latch 44. The pins thus limit these latches in their movement by engagement in the ends of the slots 49 and 50. There is a threaded opening also through the portion 19 midway between these slots and a stud 55 having a threaded portion 56 threaded into this opening so as to provide a guide for a latch retracting means.

The latch retracting means above referred to is designated generally 57 (see FIG. 3) and is there shown as a separate wrench while it is shown in operating position in FIG. 2 and may be permanently mounted there if desired. This retracting means comprises a plate 58 having cam shape slots 59 through it. It also has an open center 60 which is the bore of the handle portion 61 having a cross member 62. The opening '60 fits over the stud 55 while the pins 51 and 52 extend into the slots 59 when in the outer position such as shown in FIG. 2. These pins will be at one end of the slots 59. By rotating theplate '58 the pins are cammed inwardly by the slots 59 so as to withdraw the pins from the openings 35 and 36, thus unlatching the sides 17 and permitting the side to be swung to the open position shown in FIG. 1. As indicated before,'the bevel surface of the latches permits the side 17 to be swung to closed position and latched in such position without the necessity of the use of the wrench 57.

The bearing 25 consists of a block with a raceway 65 mounted in this block and a raceway 66 for engagement with the end 24 of the shaft 21?. Between these raceways there are balls 67. This block 25 is spaced from the channel 26 by a spacer '68 but is firmly mounted in position on the side 17. The surface-69 of the part 66 which receives the shaft end 24 is arched or partially spherical and also the surface 70 of the end 24 is arched or partially spherical, the radius 71 being substantially the distance from the hinge 18 to this surface so that the side 17 will swing nicely into position with the portion 24 and provide a good bearing therefor, thus providing with the hearing at the other end, bearings at both ends of the shaft 20 to prevent the shaft 20 from being the cantilever type of support for the supply package.

I claim:

1. A cradle for a planetary cable machine comprising a frame having opposite sides and ends,.a supply package shaft supported by and :between said sides, said shaft being permanently mounted in one of said sides, the other side being detachably secured at one end and hinged at the other end to swing on said hinge away-from the other end of the shaft to expose thesaid other end for mounting aysupply package thereon, said side at the detachable end having spaced :arms to receive between them a cooperating portion .of the frame and oppositely .movable latches mounted in said frame at said portion engageable with said arms to hold the side locked in position.

2. A cradle as in claim 1 wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges the latches each in one direction and said arms are provided with openings to receive said latches.

3. A cradle as in claim 2 wherein a single spring between said latches urges the latches in opposite directions.

4. A cradle as in claim 1 wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges each latch in one direction, pins extend from each of said latches for moving said latches toward each other against the action of said spring means.

5. A cradle as in claim 1 wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges each latch in one direction, pins extend from each of said latches and a releasing means comprising a plate with cam slots therein into which slots said pins extend for retracting said latches upon manipulation ofsaid plate.

6. A cradle as in claim 1 wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges each latch in one direction, pins extend from each of said latches and a releasing means comprising a plate with cam slots therein into which slots said pins extend for retracting said latches upon manipulation .of said plate, a stud in said frame, said plate having a recess to receive said stud and guide the movement of said plate.

7. A cradle as in claim 1 wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges each latch in one direction, pins extend from each of said latches and a removable wrench having a plate with cam slots therein receives in said slots said pins for retracting said latches upon manipulation of said wrench.

8. A cradle as in claim l'wherein said latches are movable in a tubular guide, spring means urges each latch in one direction, pins extend from each of said latches and a removable wrench having a plate with cam slots therein receives in said slots said pins for retracting said latches upon manipulation of said wrench, a stud in said frame, said wrench having .a recess to receive said stud and guide the movement of said wrench.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,208,914 Van jHook July .23, 1940 

